The School Food Collective

Supporting Independent School Caterers in Asia

"These standards set the benchmark for quality independent school catering. Whether you're already meeting them or working towards them, they unite us around a shared commitment to excellence."

OUR 14 SHARED STANDARDS

These standards represent our collective commitment to quality, sustainability, and community. They're not rigid rules, but shared goals that unite us as independent school caterers who believe children deserve the very best.

Whether you're already meeting all these benchmarks or working toward them, joining the School Food Collective means you're committed to this journey. We support each other in reaching these standards, sharing knowledge, challenges, and solutions along the way.

When your school achieves these standards, you'll receive our official certificate and logo to display with pride—showing your community the care and commitment behind every meal you serve.

FOOD QUALITY & PREPARATION STANDARDS

These standards ensure that every meal served is fresh, nutritious, and prepared with care—putting children's health and wellbeing at the heart of everything we do.

We design our meals to meet Japanese nutritional guidelines and international school standards for balanced, healthy eating.

Proper nutrition fuels learning and growth. We design our menus to give children the energy and nutrients they need to thrive—whether following Japanese frameworks or international best practice.

We prepare at least 75% of our dishes fresh on-site from whole, unprocessed ingredients.

Fresh preparation means better taste, better nutrition, and meals made with care. This standard celebrates scratch cooking and the skill of our kitchen teams.

We do not use artificial additives, trans fats, or genetically modified ingredients in our kitchens.

Simple, recognisable ingredients that parents would use at home. No shortcuts, no chemicals—just real food.

We ensure fresh drinking water is readily accessible throughout our dining areas.

Proper hydration is essential for concentration and wellbeing. We make it easy for students to drink water throughout their meal times.

We celebrate seasonal Japanese produce in our menus, with clear labelling of in-season ingredients.

Eating with the seasons connects children to the natural cycles of food production, supports local farmers, and delivers ingredients at their peak flavour and nutrition.

We display information about where our food comes from, helping students understand the journey from farm to table.

When children know where their food comes from, they develop respect for the people who grow it and the work that goes into every meal.

We accommodate all dietary requirements and respect the diverse cultural backgrounds of our international school community in our menus.

Every child deserves to enjoy mealtimes. We ensure that allergies, religious requirements, and cultural preferences are thoughtfully accommodated.

FOOD SAFETY & STAFF DEVELOPMENT

Quality food service requires skilled teams and trusted suppliers. We ensure our kitchens operate safely and our staff continuously grow their expertise.

We verify all food suppliers meet rigorous food safety and hygiene standards.

The foundation of good food starts before it enters our kitchens. We partner only with suppliers who share our commitment to safety, quality, and ethical practices.

We provide our catering teams with ongoing training in fresh food preparation techniques and the School Food Collective philosophy.

Great school food comes from skilled, knowledgeable teams. We invest in our staff's development because they're the heart of what we do.

We operate our school kitchen independently, maintaining direct relationships with our community and responding flexibly to our students' specific needs.

Independence means accountability. We answer directly to our school community, not corporate headquarters. This allows us to be nimble, responsive, and truly focused on the children we serve.

SUSTAINABILITY & ETHICAL SOURCING

We believe school food should nourish not just our students, but also our planet and local communities. We demonstrate our commitment to responsible sourcing and environmental stewardship through these standards.

We work towards sourcing at least 25% of our ingredients from ethical and environmentally friendly suppliers.

From fair-trade products to sustainably caught fish, we prioritise ingredients produced with respect for people and planet. Many of our members are already meeting or exceeding this target, and we support everyone on this journey.

We ensure fresh fruit and vegetables are always available as snack and dessert options.

Making healthy choices should be easy and appealing. We ensure that nutritious options are always within reach, helping students develop lifelong healthy eating habits.

We source ingredients from local Japanese producers to support our community and reduce food miles.

Buying local strengthens our regional food systems, reduces environmental impact, and gives students connection to the farmers and producers in their own communities.

We prioritise certified organic ingredients and support local farmers using organic practices, working towards 15% or more of ingredients from these sources.

Organic and local go hand in hand. Whether certified organic or from local farmers using natural methods, we prioritise ingredients grown without synthetic pesticides and in harmony with the environment.

WHY INDEPENDACE MATTERS

READY TO JOIN?

These standards represent what we believe exceptional school food should be. If you're an independent caterer working towards these goals—or already meeting them—we want you in the collective.

This is a journey we're taking together. You'll have the support, knowledge, and connections of fellow caterers as you work to achieve these standards.

Apply for Membership

The School Food Collective connects independent school caterers across Japan through shared standards, developing supplier relationships, and peer support.

Together, we're proving that operators focused on a single school can outperform corporate caterers: meals prepared from scratch, menus that respond to real feedback, and food service rooted in community rather than contracts.

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